Yusuf and the Giza Pyramid

His name, I learnt was Yusuf. Of Moslem faith, he is a lecturer at a Cairo University and specialises in Egyptology. Part time he is a tour guide and that explains his encounter with me.

At first to Yusuf, I was just a member of the tour group hanging on to every word he uttered about the Great Pharoah civilisation by the Blue and White Niles. All of us were determined to utilise to the full the money paid to the travel agency and educate ourselves to the optimum on this stupendous civilisation. And Yusuf was the medium.

Tall, young and handsome and highly educated he could throw compliments around to garner clients or actually out of genuine motives after the initial introductions that exposed our bio data.

"Madam, so you are connected to both education and journalism. Grand combination. I wish I could achieve that".

"But you are on your way."I stopped at the point of addressing him as "son".I already had three sons back home.

Why go "Sonning" every young man you meet?

Futility

"No. this is inadequate. Sometimes I wonder at the futility of what I am doing. Doing homework at night to explain very loyally, facets of my civilisation to umpteen men and women, vomiting it all out on the morning."

"But you have a regular job other than this"

"Yes. Yes" For some reason or other he refused to be satisfied with his lot. There are many men and women like that aiming at something higher that they themselves are not aware of. Yusuf too was aiming at something lofty and high and just now he fulfilled himself by dissecting everything that came his way. His name for example.

Jerusalem

The Egyptian civilisation seemed much less complicated as regards its history. Of course, I have read that Abraham, once led his men out of Egypt to end up in the Land of Honey and Milk, that is Israel today always in the limelight or warlight.

I have forgotten my son. Yusuf or Joseph. He is not the happy young man he looks. He is parentless. His mother, just dead. She was the propeller of his education. His father's death was not natural. He had committed suicide after bankruptcy. His mother advised him to educate himself so that he would not stoop to such foolishness.

"My mother never went to school. She would hide under that burkha eternally paying homage to all the age-old customs. But her intellect was home brewed. "Son", she would tell me, "Educate yourself. Then you will be able to bear anything and once you lose everything, start from zero."

Rudyard Kipling

The lines from Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" rang within me but never could those lines reach the Egyptian mother. Back to Yusuf. Though highly educated yet dissatisfied he was very kind and condescending. He helped me climb right to the top of the Gizza pyramid while a few of my age watched with envy.

"With your background, I know that you are dying to get to the top. (No literary insinuation there). That is what made me help you."

Well, to make amends for all that stuff that some may label as blatantly autobiographical, here I give you a brief account of the Wondrous Giza Pyramid, really a wondrous ghost coming to us from the dim antiquity of history.

The pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the world and the largest and oldest. Built in 2560 BC it had been dexterously constructed with huge stone slabs brought from a quarry. Egyptologists are of the belief that it was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty of the Pharoahs that included, king Khufu (Greek Cheops) showing Greek connection). There are two royal chambers within, one for the king and one for the main queen, or Aga Biso perhaps to enjoy their after lives.

A multitude of material including food is known to have been placed in these chambers for ultimate enjoyment. Which ended as Robbers Glee. The Giza pyramid of pharaoh Kufu is also renowned as the most preserved of the Pyramids.

The Gizza complex spreads around this pyramid in the bright desert valley incredible in its vastness. It is grey coloured during day time and in the eve turns rosy and then flashes a kaleidoscope of colours only known to the Nile valley.

As it displays in turn, three pyramids built in honour and also as resting places for the minor queens of the Great Pharoah Khufu.